Getting Started
Export your data, open the template, and see your dashboards come to life.
How DashVault works
Every DashVault template is a .pbit Power BI template file. You export a CSV from your property management software, open the template in Power BI Desktop, point it at your file, and you have a working dashboard. Your data never leaves your computer.
- 1
Export your data
Download a CSV report from your property management platform. Each DashVault template specifies exactly which report you need.
- 2
Open the template
Download the
.pbitfile from your DashVault dashboard and open it in Power BI Desktop (free). - 3
Connect your CSV
When the template opens, it will prompt you for a file path. Point it at the CSV you exported and click Load.
- 4
Explore your dashboard
That's it. Your data populates every chart, KPI, and table automatically. Save the file as a
.pbixto keep your work.
Prerequisites
- Power BI Desktop — free download from Microsoft. Windows only. If you're on Mac, you can use a Windows VM or Power BI Service (web).
- A DashVault template — purchase and download from your Dashboard.
- Your data export — a CSV file from your platform. See the platform-specific guide below.
Platform guides
Select your property management platform for step-by-step export instructions.
Exporting data from AppFolio
Primary platformAppFolio's reporting module lets you export any standard or custom report as a CSV. The exact report you need depends on which DashVault template you purchased — each template's download page lists the required report name. Here's the general process:
Navigate to Reports
Log in to your AppFolio account. From the main navigation, go to Reports. You'll see categories like Financial, Leasing, Maintenance, and more.
Select the required report
Find the report specified by your DashVault template. Common reports used by our templates include:
- Rent Roll — found under Financial reports
- Vacancy Report — found under Leasing reports
- Work Order Report — found under Maintenance reports
- Owner Statement — found under Financial reports
- Accounts Receivable Aging — found under Financial reports
Configure report parameters
Set the date range and any filters. For the best dashboard experience:
- Use the widest date range available (e.g., last 12 months for trend analysis).
- Include all properties unless you want a filtered view.
- Select all available columns — the template will use what it needs and ignore the rest.
Export as CSV
Click the Export button (or the download icon) in the top-right of the report view. Select CSV as the format. The file will download to your computer, typically into your Downloads folder.
C:\DashVault\Data\) so you can easily find it when Power BI prompts for the file path.
Open the DashVault template
Double-click the .pbit file you downloaded from DashVault. Power BI Desktop will open and display a parameter dialog asking for the CSV file path.
Enter the file path and load
Paste the full path to your CSV (e.g., C:\DashVault\Data\rent-roll-export.csv) into the parameter field and click Load. Power BI will import the data and populate all the visuals.
Save your work
Go to File → Save As and save as a .pbix file. This preserves your data connection so you can refresh the dashboard later with updated exports.
Exporting data from Buildium
Coming soonBuildium support is on our roadmap. The general workflow will be the same — export a CSV report from Buildium, then load it into a DashVault template.
Want to be notified when Buildium-specific templates launch? Let us know.
Using DashVault with other platforms
DashVault templates work with any platform that can export data as CSV. The key is matching the expected column structure. Here's how:
Check the expected columns
Each template's download page lists the required CSV columns. Export a report from your platform and compare the column headers.
Map your columns
If your platform uses different column names (e.g., "Unit Number" instead of "Unit"), rename the columns in your CSV to match. You can do this in Excel, Google Sheets, or any text editor.
Save and load
Save the updated CSV and follow the standard loading process: open the .pbit template, enter the file path, and click Load.
Platforms we're planning to support natively:
- Buildium — coming soon
- Yardi Voyager — planned
- RentManager — planned
- Propertyware — planned
Don't see your platform? Request it and we'll prioritize based on demand.
Frequently asked questions
Does DashVault see or store my data?
No. DashVault templates are .pbit files that run entirely in Power BI Desktop on your computer. Your data is loaded from a local CSV file and never leaves your machine. DashVault has no access to your data at any point.
Do I need a Power BI Pro license?
No. Power BI Desktop is free and works with all DashVault templates. You only need a Pro or Premium license if you want to publish dashboards to the Power BI Service for sharing with your team online.
Can I customize the dashboards?
Absolutely. Once you load your data into a template, it becomes a standard .pbix file. You can modify visuals, add new pages, change colors, add calculated measures — anything Power BI Desktop supports.
How do I refresh my data?
Export a new CSV from your platform, save it to the same file path, and click Refresh in Power BI Desktop. All charts and KPIs update automatically.
What if my CSV has different column names?
You can rename columns in your CSV to match the expected format (listed on each template's download page). Alternatively, you can use Power BI's Power Query Editor to rename columns within the template itself — this way, the mapping persists across refreshes.
I'm on a Mac. Can I use DashVault templates?
Power BI Desktop is Windows-only. On Mac, your options are: (1) use a Windows virtual machine (Parallels, VMware Fusion), (2) use Windows 365 Cloud PC, or (3) publish the template to Power BI Service using a Windows computer and then view it in your browser on Mac.